Lac Bangles & Lakh Jewellery of Jaipur and Hyderabad

The story

Lac is one of India's oldest ornament materials — a natural resin secreted by the tiny lac insect on host trees such as palash, ber and kusum, harvested and refined into a warm, mouldable material. Ancient texts knew it well; the Mahabharata's infamous 'house of lac' testifies to how long the substance has been part of the Indian imagination. As jewellery, lac reached its fullest expression in Rajasthan and the Deccan. In Jaipur's walled city, the Lakhera and Manihar communities have shaped and sold lac bangles for generations — an entire lane, Maniharon ka Rasta, is named for them. A parallel tradition thrives in Hyderabad's Laad Bazaar, the bangle street beside the Charminar, where lac kadas glitter with embedded stones. More than decoration, lac bangles are auspicious: they mark weddings and are worn for Teej, Karva Chauth and other festivals, gifted to brides as symbols of good fortune. Because each piece is warmed, rolled and studded by hand, no two bangles are identical — the slight softness of the resin holds every glass stone in a bed shaped exactly to it, a warmth no moulded plastic can imitate.

How it is made

Everything begins at the angithi, a small coal brazier. The artisan warms a lump of refined lac until it softens, kneads it with a filler for body, and presses it around the tip of a wooden rod. Rolled back and forth against a flat stone or plank, the resin stretches into an even coil. A thin layer of coloured lac — tinted with pigments — is fused over the base so the colour runs deep rather than sitting as paint. The coil is bent into a hoop, its ends joined seamlessly with a touch of heat. While the surface is still warm and tacky, glass stones, mirrors and beads are pressed in one by one; the resin grips them as it cools, no adhesive needed. Jhumkas and kadas follow the same logic in sculpted forms.

Buying guide

Real lac has a faint waxy warmth to the touch and slight hand-made irregularities — perfectly uniform, glassy bangles are usually plastic or resin casts. Check that stones sit sunk into the surface, gripped by the lac itself, not glued flat on top with visible adhesive. Simple single-colour bangles typically start around ₹150–₹300; stone-studded pairs run into the mid-hundreds; elaborate bridal kadas and jhumka sets can reach ₹3,000–₹4,000. Buy sets sized to your hand — lac does not flex the way metal does.

Care

Lac is a thermoplastic resin: keep it away from direct sunlight, hot dashboards and radiators, which can soften and deform it. Avoid contact with perfume, hairspray and alcohol-based sanitisers, which dull the surface. Slip bangles on gently rather than forcing them — lac cracks before it bends. After wearing, wipe with a soft dry cloth and store each piece wrapped in tissue or muslin, in a cool drawer.

Frequently asked questions